Tongue-depressor.



A. T HOHLE.

TONGUE DEPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1:. 19m.

1 ,274,547 I Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

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142210228 To/z /e AZ Zorney UNITED STATES PATENT onnicn.

MORE '1. HOHLE, 0F WELL-OHS, MINNESOTA.

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Another objectof my invention is to provide a flash light serving as aninstrument handle with means thereon for carrying with a detachableconnection a common type of tongue splint.

Another object of my vide in an instrument of the kind described meansfor receiving and holding with a de tachable connection two differentsizes of tongue splints.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction and combination of splints,

parts, the essential elements of which are hereinafter described withreference to the drawing which accompanies and forms a part-of thisspec' cation.

In th drawing, Figure 1 is an isometric view of my improved tonguedepressor. Fig. 2 is an end view showing one method of receiving twodifferent sizes of tongue and Fig. 3 is my preferred construction of theinstrument adapted to re ceive two sizes of tongue splints. V A flashlight 1 of ordinary construction serves as the handle of the instrumentand carries the ordina electric bulb 2 at the farther end thereo withthe battery concealed in the handle, and the switch 3serves to close oropen the battery circuit through the lamp in any suitable manner.

Carried by the forward end of the barrel of the flash light is areceiving socket 4 having a substantially rectangular cross section withone side cut away to give flexibility to the socket.

This socket is adapted to receive between the sides 5 a tongue splint ofthe size used for adults and of the common type made of wood andsufiicient frictional pressure is exerted by the socket to firmly retainthe splint in position.

Specification of Letters Patent.

thereon for detachably carrying tongue splints.

invention is to pro Patented Aug. c, 1918.

Application filed November 11, 1916. Serial No. 180,768.

These wooden splints are customarily carri'ed by physicians when makingcalls as they can be used and thrown away, where the ordinary style oftongue depressor having a permanent tongue piece must, of

course, be sterilized each time it is used. 7

In my preferred construction, as shown in Fig. 3, I have the channel soshaped that a tongue splint 6 of the size for adults may be carried inone portion of the socket, or a tongue splint 7 of the childrens sizemay be carried in the outer portion of the socket, either socket beingadapted to hold by frictional tension the tongue splint for which it isdesigned.

In the alternate construction shown in. Fig. 2, I furnish with thesocket i a second socket 8 adapted to slide in and be held by the socket4 as would the adult size of tongue splint, and this removable socket isof the proper size to receive and hold the children size of tonguesplint.

Either of he constructions shown allow the use of an antiseptic andinexpensive form of tongue splint that can be used once and thrown awayand thus obviate the necessity of sterilizing the instrument when it isused away from the physicians ofiice.

While I have described my invention and illustrated it in one particulardesign, I] do not wish it understood'that I limit myself to thisconstruction as it is evident that the application of my invention maybe varied in many ways within the scope of the following claims.

- Claims:

1. In a tongue depressor, the combination of an instrument handle and adouble socket, one portion of which is designed to hold by frictionaltension a tongue splint of a certain size and the other portion of whichis designed to hold by similar means a tongue ANTONE T. HOHLE.

the combination

